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Order I · Seals of Gnosis and Ascent
Dharmachakra Mudra
धर्मचक्र मुद्रा · dharmacakra mudrā · Σφραγὶς τοῦ Τροχοῦ τοῦ Νόμου
08
Two wheels set in motion. The inner world and the outer world turn together and the teaching is set in motion.
- Meaning
- Seal of Turning the Wheel of the Law
- Tradition
- Buddhist iconography: the First Sermon at Sarnath; the seal of Vairocana among the Five Tathagatas
- Hands
- Both hands, interacting
- Placement
- In front of the chest.
- Associations
- Heart; middle finger of Saturn.
- Level
- Advanced
Formation
- Raise both hands in front of the chest, the right hand somewhat higher than the left.
- With each hand join the thumb and index finger in a circle.
- Turn the left palm toward the heart and the back of the right hand toward the body.
- Let the left middle finger touch the place where the right thumb and index finger close their circle.
Example Meditation
Raise the hands before the chest in the turning wheel. Breathe deeply and calmly and contemplate a truth received from the Gods, letting it turn in the mind like the wheel itself. The seal sets the inner and outer worlds in order and opens the mind to the guidance of the higher self.
Effects
PhysicalΣῶμα
- Deep breathing. Joined to slow, deep breathing focused on the three fingertips in contact.
EmotionalΘυμός
- Serenity. It builds serenity, even-mindedness and harmony in the face of constant change ("This too shall pass").
IntellectualΝοῦς
- Two worlds in order. The left hand stands for the inner world, the right for the outer; the seal sets the two in harmony.
SoulΨυχή
- Guidance of the higher self. The two wheels are read as the cycle of rebirth; the left middle finger, the finger of Saturn, marks the passage from this world to the next.
AscentἈνάβασις
- The turning of the Law. The wheel of Dharma corresponds to the order the Gods set in the cosmos. Zevism reads it as Ma'at in motion: the cosmic order turned and transmitted.
Finger Key
| Finger | Element | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thumb | Fire | joins the index finger | joins the index finger |
| Index | Air | joins the thumb; meets the left middle finger | joins the thumb |
| Middle | Aether | extended | meets the right index finger |
| Ring | Earth | extended | extended |
| Little | Water | extended | extended |
Cautions and Variants
Variants. The remaining fingers are not specified in the instruction; they are shown extended, as in Gandharan and later images.
Sources
Recommended for Every Zevist Library
Gertrud Hirschi, Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands
The standard practical manual of the hand seals, with their indications and meditations. The Temple of Zeus recommends it as a purchase for every Zevist library, personal or communal.